Nightmare Revisited
by 6.7.I.M.P.A.L.A.L.O.V.E
Summary: SEQUEL to FIRST NIGHTMARE.  Cassie is back but this time she's at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital... what's going to happen when Freddy comes back into her life?  Set in Dream Warriors
1. 01  He's Back

I sat on my bed in silence, listening to the usual sounds of the people in Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Phillip was running around, looking for something to do, the others were probably loitering about... all of us trying to keep ourselves awake in some way.

The familiar sound of the squeaking wheel of Max's cart was getting closer along with a newscaster's voice. "In local news, two more teenage deaths have occurred..." it was saying, "both suicide. County health officials are at a loss to explain this alarming trend..." The radio was switched off as Max paused outside my door, a small worried glance sent my way as he did.

"Nothing like a little cheery news to start the day," Dr Goldman commented as he paused too.

"Say listen, Doc," Max turned to him, "I got a new theory about all these suicides."

"Don't hold back," Goldman smirked, "We need all the help we can get." I turned my head and listened closely to what he had to say.

"Fucked up chromosomes," Max replied, "Think about it, their parents all dropped acid in the sixties." My eyes rolled on their own accord and I turned back to staring at the wall.

"It beats Dr Simms' theory," Goldman commented, "She thinks it's nothing but sex, drugs and rock and roll."

"Shit, that's what keeps people alive," Max laughed before he rolled his cart into my room, handing me some pills. Frowning slightly I looked up at him and shook my head. "C'mon Cassidy, we're not having this argument again."

"I know," I replied, "Because like every other day I'm not taking them." I arched a challenging eyebrow, "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Your mom begs to differ after she found you on your bathroom floor after that overdose," Max commented making me roll my eyes again and turn away from him, stubbornly refusing to take the pills again. "I'll just leave them here then." With that he put them on the bedside table and left the room.

It was around an hour later, after I'd flushed my pills down the toilet like usual, that I emerged from my room, looking around in apathy as Jennifer passed me to go to the TV room, a small smile sent in my direction, which I returned before I headed down the hall to Phillip and Kincaid's room. "Ah, the Princess finally graces us with her presence?" Phillip commented as I dropped myself onto his bed, watching him as he made his puppets.

"Whatever Walker," I muttered quietly as I sat against his headboard, turning to Kincaid who was reading a comic, "How's it going Bruiser?"

"Bored as hell," he replied honestly making me nod in understanding, "Only just got out of the quiet room." This caused me to laugh slightly and shake my head, a small smirk in place on my lips.

"You hear we've got a new shrink?" Phil commented making me turn to him and arch an eyebrow, "Yeah, fresh outta grad school."

"Damn," I grumbled, "Another person who's gonna wanna hear the fucked up story of my life... great."

"This is Phillip," Max's voice suddenly announced from the doorway making me turn and lock gazes with a very familiar person who hadn't recognised me yet. My hood was up, so I'd let her off. "We call him the Walker."

"Why is that?" Nancy asked curiously.

"Cause I sleepwalk," Phillip replied, "A perfectly normal event that our illustrious staff loved to theorise about endlessly."

"Phillip this is Nancy," Max introduced as I gave her a once over, she looked older... but I guess three years would do that to you.

"Hi," Phil smirked, "Welcome to the Snake Pit, as Princess calls it." He nodded at me and Nancy smiled.

"Thanks," she told him before glancing at me and moving to Phil's puppets. "Nice work."

"They ought to be carved out of wood," I smirked slightly, "But they won't let any of us have knives because we might..." I mimed slitting my wrist with a smirk making her turn to me, I arched an eyebrow.

"This here's Cassidy," Max told her making Nancy's eyes widen and my smirk, grow wider.

"How the mighty have fallen, right?" I commented sarcastically as she gave me a soft look, "Not everyone got over it as well as you did." Nancy didn't say anything, just gave me a sorrowful look until I pushed myself off the bed and walked out of the room irritably. My irritation only growing as I watched Joey helping Marcie pick up some dropped towels from the laundry cart.

He paused as I passed, watching me storm down the corridor and back into my room, slamming the door as I went. I was doing fine pretending I was getting over what had happened in Elm Street, I was doing fine pretending that I was getting enough sleep... and I knew I was close to getting out of this damned place! And she had to turn up, throwing me for a loop and making me snap in front of Max who would obviously tell Doc Goldman.

There was a gentle knock on my door as I lay on my bed, frowning at the ceiling, and as I sat up the door opened slowly to reveal a sheepish looking Joey who smiled weakly. "I'm fine," I replied to the unspoken question making him arch an eyebrow before he closed the door and walked over to me, sitting on the bed next to me and draping his arm around my shoulders. "Okay... I'm not fine, but I'm pretty damn close."

I could feel his chest rumble in silent laughter as I leant my head on his shoulder, "You know, I've got a feeling you have a sexy as hell voice," I commented as I looked up at him, he smirked slightly... "But it's a good think I like the strong silent types huh?"

His smirk widened slightly as his eyebrow arched questioningly before I leant in and pressed my lips softly on his, my hand resting softly on his chest. After breaking the kiss he leant his forehead against mine, giving me a soft smile as I bit at my lip, stroking my thumb against the teardrop drawing on his cheek. "You're gonna end up with ink poisoning or something," I smirked slightly as I locked my gaze on his again.

He just shrugged, staying silent like always but I could see it in his eyes, _I'd rather die from ink poison than from the psycho in our dreams_.

"Lights out," my door opened to reveal a frowning Max, "I've told you two before, when you're alone in a room the door stays open."

"Sorry Max," I smiled slightly as Joey pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and left the room to go to his own.

"Finally got you a roommate," Max commented, "Meet Kristen." I arched an eyebrow at the blond girl that walked from behind Max, bandages wrapped around her wrist from where she had slit them.

"I like the irony, now tell me again why she's not sharing with Jennifer or Taryn," I replied dryly as the girl gave me a sceptical look.

"Dr Simms suggested she stay with you," Max replied, "Thinks it'll be good for the both of you."

"Whatever," I muttered before grabbing my sketch pad and ignoring the two of them as they got her settled in. Once he'd left however I looked up at Kristen and gave her a sad look. "So let me guess, burnt face, brown fedora and a green and red striped sweater."

"How did you...?" she started.

"And he used your dream to slit your wrist," I finished as I cut her off, she nodded. "We all dream about him, Doc Simms thinks it is a group psychosis, never mind the fact that we all dreamt about him before we came here... It's Cassie by the way."

Kristen seemed even more nervous thanks to what I was saying, but she still settled down to sleep, my pencil flying across my paper as I once again drew a picture of Nancy's house, the house that Freddy seemed to be obsessed with lately. It wasn't long after Kristen fell asleep that I heard her scream in my mind, my head suddenly spinning before I fell back onto my pillows.

_I felt myself crash through the ceiling before I landed heavily on the floor in the living room of Elm Street house, next to me an ornate mirror exploded and Nancy burst through is with a look of utter disbelief. Following her gaze mine landed on a horrid snake with the face of Freddy, slowly swallowing Kristen whole._

"_Kristen," I shouted before launching myself off the ground, grabbing a shard from the mirror in the process before I plunged it into Freddy's eye. He dropped her as he reeled back, letting me pull her out of the way as he roared._

_His gaze locked on me before travelling to Nancy who had wrapped her arms around Kristen in comfort, "You two!" he yelled in a total rage before he lunged at us making me grab the two other girls and pull them from the room, slamming the door behind me in the process._

"_You pulled us in somehow, didn't you?" Nancy asked Kristen._

"_I-I think so," she stuttered her reply. I strained against the door as best as I could but I was slowly draining of strength._

"_Get us out of here!" I yelled as the door caved in making me jump out of the way._

I sat up quick in my bed at the Hospital, gasping as pain erupted up my arm from my hand, glancing down I noticed that I had slit my palm open with the glass from the dream. "I'm so sorry..." Kristen started, "I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," I told her gently as I wrapped my hand up, "I'm fine... and so is Nancy."


	2. 02  Back To The Way It Was

The next day showed me that dreaming about Freddy again had put a bit of a strain on me, I'd always been quiet, speaking only to be sarcastic on most occasions but the next day, for the most of it, I was quieter than Joey. The other's had noticed of course, but upon seeing the bandage on my hand, they hadn't mentioned anything; Joey had just wrapped his arms around me in comfort.

"Okay, Group's in session," Doc Goldman announced as we sat in the day room in our usual circle. "Straight talk only in this room." I rolled my eyes slightly at his repeated introduction.

"Today I'd like to start by getting us acquainted with our new staff member, Nancy Thompson," Dr Simms announced, "Let's make her feel welcome." There was a chorus of Hello's and Hi's but I just locked gazes with the older girl, keeping my mouth shut.

"Let's see, you've already met Phillip, Kincaid and Kristen," Doc Goldman commented, "Why don't the rest of you tell Nancy something about yourself?" No one said anything so he glanced at me, "Cassidy? You first."

"Nancy and I go way back," I replied simply as I slumped in my chair, my cold gaze locked on the older girl who gave me a sad smile.

"Is that so?" Simms asked curiously, "Would you like to tell the group how you two know each other?"

"Rather not," I replied smoothly, finally breaking eye contact to glare at the doctor instead.

"Come on now Cassidy," Simms started, "You know what we've said about cooperation." My glare darkened until Joey's hand landed on my arm to calm me.

"Nancy here was my brother's girlfriend," I replied simply, and Simms' fake smile dropped as she realised the subject she'd just brought up. "We used to hang out all the time, Me, Nancy, Glen, Tina, Rod, Dean and Quentin..." A tear tracked down my cheek and my voice cracked slightly as I talked, "You want me to carry on, tell everyone why we lost contact?"

"I think we're ok..." Simms started.

"Our friends started dying off, being murdered by a psycho," I interrupted her, "Nancy and I happen to be the only survivors of the Elm Street massacre three years ago." Kristen's jaw dropped as the others in the room winced and I settled into my seat again fully glaring at the shrink.

"Enough Cassidy," Doc Goldman sighed.

"Why? I was cooperating," I replied through gritted teeth, "Letting you know my feelings and shit. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?" He gave me a pointed look and I slumped into my chair, wiping my cheeks dry as I looked at the floor, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Will?" Goldman asked the guy next to me.

"I'm Will Stanton, and um... I've had a little accident, as you can see," he replied tentatively.

"Accident my ass," Taryn scoffed making my gaze snap up to her, "I thought this was supposed to be straight talk in here?"

"Hey so he took a jump," Kincaid defended, "At least he wasn't sticking needles in his arms with a bunch of lowlifes."

"Save it," Simms interrupted the beginning of the argument, "Jennifer?"

"I'm Jennifer Caulfield," was the reply from the young blond, "When I get out of here I'm going to LA to be an actress. I'm gonna be on TV."

"Yeah, Lifestyles of the Rich and Psychotic," Kincaid laughed making me glower at him.

"Screw you!" Jennifer started but I sent her a pointed look making her pause and sit back with a sigh.

"This is Joey," I introduced with a nod to said boy who was holding my hand, "He used to be a debater in school, but now he doesn't talk much." He squeezed my hand as he sent a smile to Nancy who responded in kind.

"I'm Taryn White," Taryn sighed bored, "I only came here because it was a better deal than Juvie." She sighed, "Also I guess because I'm going through some very strange shit."

"Your dreams?" Nancy asked her softly.

"Everyone has bad dreams," I interrupted as I noticed Taryn looking uncomfortable.

"Can I interject something here?" Phillip suddenly asked making me glance up at him, "Just to save us all some time?"

"Go ahead, Phillip," Goldman nodded.

"According to our hind hosts, our dreams are a..." he paused and looked at me.

"Group psychosis," I filled in making him grin in thanks.

"Sort of a mellow mass hysteria," He carried on, "The fact that we all dreamt about this guy before we ever met doesn't seem to impress anybody." I nodded in agreement, "So we go around in circles making minimal progress with maximum effort."

"And you won't make any progress until you recognise your dreams for what they are," Simms countered. "The by product of guilt." I scoffed and shook my head, "Psychological scars streaming from moral conflicts and overt sexuality."

"Great now my dicks killing me," Kincaid laughed making me grin slightly.

"Tell them Nancy," Kristen started, "Tell them what's really going on, they won't believe Cassie."

"Yes, tell us Nancy," Goldman looked surprised.

"All I can say is this isn't something that's just going to disappear," she replied, "You're all going to have to face it. Fight it. And if you're willing to work together... willing to stand up to your deepest fears... I think we can beat it."

"Says the girl who is taking dream suppressants," I commented dryly as she looked at me, "Some of us have to actually face our past, we can't all just get rid of them with pills."

"Not from lack of trying," Kincaid commented slyly making me growl and throw myself off my chair, tossing it behind me as I stormed from the room. "Yeah, go cry by yousel..."

I stopped walking as Goldman, Simms and Nancy stood to calm me down, Simms shouting for Max. "You need to learn how to watch your fucking mouth Kincaid!" I yelled at him as I turned to face him, walking quickly towards him, only stopping when Joey jumped in front of me and shook his head hastily. Joey's hand reached for my cheek and gave me a look that obviously meant 'calm down'.

Clenching my jaw I took a breath and nodded before walking out of the dayroom, passing Max and Lorenzo as I did, both of whom looked shocked at the lack of fight between me and Kincaid.

That evening had me sat on Will's bed, in Joey's arms as we played Dungeons and Dragons with Will and Taryn. I wasn't really playing, just watching as the other three played as I felt myself drifting off to sleep in Joey's hold.

"Okay so you're attacked by the Bog Demon," Will commented, "Go ahead."

Taryn tossed the dice, "Uh fourteen," she commented.

"Doesn't count, you gotta say the words," Will protested as I smirked slightly, feeling Joey chuckling silently behind me.

"This is stupid," she whined slightly as I closed my eyes and leant my head back against Joey's shoulder.

"C'mon," Will pleaded as I felt Joey's lips flutter across my throat making me bite my lip to suppress a gasp.

"In the name of Elric, Prince of Elves, demon begone," she sighed irritably.

"Good, you conquer the demon, but your horse is sinking in the bog," Will carried on, "What do you do?"

"I go to bed, and buy a new horse in the morning," she replied with a yawn I smiled slightly as I felt Joey chuckle again, smirking against my neck.

"How do I...?" Will started as she left before he sighed, "Guy's this is my bed remember." Sitting forward I blushed slightly and smiled apologetically. "How do I score it? Enchanted slumber or death?"

"Death," I replied simply as Max walked in.

"Lights out," he commented as he glanced at me and Joey again making me roll my eyes and get off Will's bed as Max lifted Will into it. "You guys too." He pointed at me and Joey making me nod.

"Joey's gonna walk me down to my room," I told him innocently making Max roll his eyes and nod, "Night Will."

"Night Cassie," he called back as we left the room walking down to my door which was open, revealing Kristen sketching on her bed.

"Thanks Joey," I smiled gently and he smirked slightly before leaning in, pressing his lips fully against mine as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you too." With a final kiss to my forehead he backed away and smiled at me before heading to his room again.

"You guys are cute together," Kristen commented as I shut the door and hopped on to my bed. "He seems to really like you."

I smiled slightly and nodded, a small blush creeping up my neck, "I think it's really good that you can understand him... you know, cause he can't talk and all," she carried on as I sat on my bed, pulling my own sketch pad towards myself.

"Yeah well, his eyes are really expressive," I replied, "If people just paid more attention to him, they'd notice too." She nodded in understanding before the automatic lights switched themselves off making me glance up at the ceiling before I pulled my flashlight out to sketch.

It was a few hours later when I heard hurried footsteps and an indistinct shouting, a loud bang slammed against our door, making Kristen sit up in shock before I darted to the door in worry. Joey was running towards his room, slamming on the other doors on the way making me follow him hurriedly.

"PHILLIP!" I heard Will shouting, well screaming from his window making me run forward to him. Phillip was teetering on the edge of the bell tower his eyes open wide in fear as he silently pleaded for help.

"Phil!" I screamed in terror, "Wake up! Phillip!" It had to be Freddy, I could almost see his smirking face in the sky above him. I barely even noticed that the others were there watching with me, screaming for Phillip to wake up too.

"Let him go," I begged quietly, "Freddy... just..." Tears poured down my cheeks as I watched him teeter more dangerously before he let out a scream and plummeted down to the ground. There was a heartbreaking thump as Phillip hit the floor and my knees buckled from underneath me making me crumple to the floor.

The rest of the night went by in a flash, my mind didn't know what to concentrate on and eventually I just retired to my room, sitting on my bed and staring into space.


	3. 03 Fear

Group was once again in session, I sat between Joey and Will like usual but this time Phillip wasn't across the circle from me. My eyes stayed glued to the floor, my mouth firmly shut and my jaw slightly clenched. "I want to talk about what happened last night," Doc Goldman commented, "Let's get all our feelings out in the open."

I stayed silent, fighting back the tears that were stinging at my eyes, "He wasn't strong enough," Kincaid suddenly let out, "So he got wasted, that's all."

"That's all?" Jennifer argued, "Is that what you think?"

"He couldn't hack it and he got nailed," Kincaid snapped, "Period."

"Big tough badass," I sneered, "How long you gonna last?"

"Longer than any of you," he replied easily.

"Oh yeah, you're not even gonna last half as long as I have," I growled at him, "I've had to put up with this for three years asshole!"

"Go ahead and fight," Kristen suddenly sighed, "That's what he wants."

"Who?" Will sighed making me slump into my seat; Joey taking my hand.

"You know who," Jennifer replied, "What does he want?"

"To turn us against each other," she replied, "So we'll be weak... Easy prey."

"Horseshit!" Kincaid snapped making me glower across to him.

"No, she's right," Nancy interrupted making everyone glance to her; Doctor Simms was glaring.

"I think we're all missing the point here," Simms interrupted us, "Phillips death was a sleepwalking accident. Nothing more."

"He wasn't sleepwalking," I countered quietly making everyone look at me, "I could see him up there. He was wide awake... all the way down."

"Then it was suicide," Goldman commented, "Phillip quit, he copped out."

"It wasn't suicide," I suddenly screamed, "Phillip wasn't weak! He'd never have just left us!"

"Listen to me," Goldman stood up, letting some of his anger out, "Phillip killed himself. And that's a cowardly thing. An empty thing." I glowered angrily, "He let himself down, and he let us down."

"It was murder!" Taryn defended, "Can't you understand that? That bastard murdered him!"

"You never know when he's going to come," Jennifer informed the adults, "Sometimes for days, nothing... then –"

"I've heard quite enough of this," Simms cut in, "How long before you're ready to face yourselves? How much longer can you keep blaming your dreams for your own weaknesses?"

"Weaknesses?" I screamed as I suddenly stood up, ignoring Joey's grip on my arm, "You're serious? I'd like to see how long you'd last with this asshole after you! We didn't even do anything! It was your damn generation that made him angry in the first place!"

"Enough Cassie," Goldman insisted making me glower towards him, Joey pulled me into his lap instead of into my chair.

"There will be no repeat occurrences of last night's events," Simms declared as she gave me a pointed look. "From now on, your doors will be locked during sleeping hours. We'll begin a policy of evening sedation. For everybody!"

"The fuck you will!" Kincaid was suddenly on his feet as I stood up and backed away from the doctors.

"Hell no!" I agreed, "No one's coming near me with those damn drugs!"

"Both of you just bought yourselves nights in the quiet rooms," she snapped at us making me suppress a scream of anger, "Now sit down!"

"Fuck you!" Kincaid shouted.

"You sit down!" I added in the same tone as she pressed the button to call Max and Lorenzo in.

"Easy you two," Goldman ordered as Joey stood up to move to me, him being the only person who could calm me down. Max moved straight to Kincaid as Lorenzo approached me but Joey shook his head at the guy and stood in front of me, taking my face in his hands.

I moved back away from him, my back hitting the wall as I closed my eyes, shaking my head and repeating 'no' over and over again. I could hear them taking Kincaid from the room and Simms ordering them to take me too but Taryn and Jennifer snapped to leave me alone.

"Just... give her a minute," Will warned, "She'll calm herself down, just don't touch her right now... she only let's Joey near her when she's like this."

"Take her to the quiet room," Simms ordered suddenly and a hand clamped on my arm firmly. My eyes snapped open and I let out a scream before I wrenched my arm from Lorenzo's grip, he tried again only to receive my knee to his groin... he crumpled to the ground and I dodged past another orderly, throwing a chair across the room before familiar arms wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my side as he rested his forehead against mine.

The silence of him made me relax instantly, my body sagging slightly as I buried my face in his collar, my hand clinging to his shirt. "No," I muttered quietly, "I'm not sleeping, I won't go to sleep." He ran a hand through my hair softly, pressing a kiss to my temple to calm me down.

"Maybe we should just let Joey calm her down," Nancy commented making Simms grudgingly agree. Lorenzo guided the both of us to the Quiet Room and Joey settled himself into a corner, pulling me to lean against his side, his arm around my shoulders as he ran his hand through my hair again.

We sat quietly, both fighting off the sleep that was begging for us to let it in... My eyes were flickering closed every now and again but I always seemed to force them open. "Joey," I muttered after we sat in silence for a while, "I'm scared."

His body shifted next to mine, making me turn my head to him; chewing on my bottom lip as I did. "I've never said it before, but... since Glen and the others," I looked at the floor, "And now Phillip. I don't think I'm going to make it out of this alive."

His hand flew to my face, cupping my cheek as he locked his gaze with mine urgently his eyes once again said everything. _We're gonna make it out of this, don't give up!_ "I just..." I sighed and let a tear fall down my cheek, "Joey if something happens to me, I just want you to know that I love you... I have since the day I met you and I always will." A small smile flickered on his lips and he brought my face to his.

Our lips locked in a passionate kiss, all the things he couldn't say were being said for him, his tongue drifting against my lip to ask for permission. Unlike all the kisses we'd shared before this one seemed almost desperate, like he was almost dying to say something but he just couldn't. Our tongues danced furiously as my arms locked around his neck, pulling us closer to each other. His hands had moved to my hips as he pulled me forward to straddle his legs, my silk nightdress sliding further up my thighs as I did.

It was then that a scream reverberated through the halls of Westin Hill Hospital making us break away in shock before we rushed to the door of the quiet room. "Jennifer!" I scream in shock, it had been her voice shouting and feet rushed towards the TV room but the sound of exploding glass shot through the halls and a gasp escaped my lips.

Joey wrapped his arms around me and held me close, his face buried in my hair as I buried mine in his collar. "Oh god," I whimpered as tears poured from my eyes.


	4. 04 JOEY!

The next day Goldman asked us to go to Group again, making us sit in our usual circle... once again one person down. "Okay, straight talk only in here," Goldman told us as Joey took my hand to comfort me.

"Is this Group?" Taryn asked curiously.

"Well, unofficially," Goldman replied honestly.

"Pretty soon there won't be enough of us left to call it Group," Will muttered sadly.

"Listen, Nancy's got something to say," Goldman told us firmly making us all turn to her.

"I-I know who's trying to kill you," she told us as she locked gazes with me, making me look at the floor.

"Don't fucking humour us," Kincaid snapped, "We're not in the mood."

"She's faced him before," I interrupted, "Last time, with me and the others." The group sent a shocked look at me before looking at Nancy.

"He wears a dirty brown hat," Nancy proved, "He's horribly burned and he has razors on his right hand."

"Who is he?" Taryn demanded.

"I told you," I turned to her, "His names Freddy Krueger." They turned to me again, "He was a child murderer before he died. And after he was killed, he became something worse." I looked up at Nancy and she nodded proudly. "Three years ago Freddy killed my brother and our friends. He almost killed us, but Nancy got rid of him... or so we thought."

"I guess he was too strong," she sighed sadly, and a silence fell over us making me take a breath and look up again.

"You guys keep wondering why us, right?" I directed around, "Like I said, we never did anything to him. Our parents, even Nancy's... they burned him alive. We're paying for their sins." I looked around again.

"You're the last of the Elm Street children," Nancy finished and the others looked between us in shock.

"What happened?" Kristen asked, "How did he die?"

"He was arrested, but someone forgot to sign the warrant in the right place," I replied, "So our parents tracked him down to his boiler room and burned him to death." They all looked at me in horror, everyone staying silent.

"Mom and dad?" Will asked finally, "That's... crazy. They never said..."

"Oh sure," Taryn interrupted, "That's just the sorta thing parents tell their kids: 'Goodnight honey. Don't forget to say your prayers. Oh, by the way, your father and I torched some maniac last night'."

"So what do we do about this creep?" Kincaid asked curiously.

"Last time, it was me against him," Nancy replied, "I didn't tell anyone what I was doing. I wasn't strong enough... alone."

"But together..." Will caught on making me nod.

"Kristen is the key," I commented, "She's got a thing she can do. A gift, you could call it."

"I haven't been able to do that since I was a little girl," Kristen countered.

"You did it the other night," Nancy and I countered together.

"That was different," Kristen tried.

"You never lose a gift like that," Nancy shook her head, "You just forget how to use it." She sighed, "How about it... will you try?" Kristen nodded and Nancy smiled before looking around at us all.

"Each one of you has an inner strength... some special power you've had in your most wonderful dreams," Nancy commented, "Together we can learn to use those powers... if we try."

"You sound like Peter Pan," Doc Goldman commented.

"Remember... open mind," Nancy sighed making him nod.

"Okay, we're going to try a little group therapy," Goldman turned to a pendulum thing and flicked it on making the pendulum rock from side to side. "I want you to follow the pendulum with your eyes. Tune out everything else... nothing else exists but the pendulum."

I did as he said, barely hearing him as he told us to relax, my eyes were glued on the pendulum and I could feel myself drifting off. My eyes flickered before closing. "Five... four... three... two... one..."

_My eyes snapped open and I found myself still in the day room making me groan and slide down into my seat again. "I'm sorry," Kristen sighed as Goldman turned the pendulum off._

"_We can try again," Nancy smiled._

"_Everyone take five," Goldman nodded and I stood up, cracking my back... it didn't occur to me that I was suddenly in different clothes. "Look, I was willing to go along with this for the kids' peace of mind... and yours. But you've got to face reality..." I tuned Goldman out as he talked to Nancy and I walked over to one of the walls, leaning my head on it, closing my eyes sadly._

"_Neil, let's try one more time," Nancy's voice called out a few minutes later, If it doesn't work, then I promise..." a gasp sounded making me turn to see some of the Newton balls were floating in mid-air._

"_We're here," Will commented._

"_Where... here?" Taryn asked in confusion._

"_We're in a dream," I smirked._

"_Don't be silly..." Goldman countered, "We're in Group..."_

"_In my dreams, I can walk," Will commented, "My legs are strong." He pushed himself out of his wheelchair making me smile widely. "In my dreams, I'm the Dungeonmaster." He plucked a ball from the air and moved his hand over it making it turn into a dragonfly._

"_We made it," Nancy smiled, "Neil, we made it!"_

"_This isn't possible," Goldman muttered, "And even if it is... what the hell am I doing here?" He turned to Kristen, "Did you drag me here too?"_

_The girl smiled sheepishly, "Try something Kristen," I commented as I stuck my hands in the pocket of the hoody that belonged to Dean... he'd been wearing it when Freddy got him so it had been destroyed after being evidence. "What can you do in your dreams?"_

_She took a few steps back before launching herself into complex gymnast flips, "A perfect score the crowd goes wild!" Will grinned he turned to me as Kincaid bent and twisted a metal chair like it was a paperclip. "What can you do Cassie?"_

"_Me?" I asked as I sat down, I shrugged, "Nothing. I don't have a power... I have my guys back." I indicated my hoody, "This was Dean's hoody," the woolly beanie on my head, "Quentin's hat..." I took my hands out my pocket, "Glen's fingerless gloves," and I flipped a blade open, "And Rod's knife." Nancy smiled and walked over to me, her arms wrapping around me._

"_I'm my dreams," Taryn caught our attention making us look up to see her dressed in leathers and chains, her hair in a giant Mohawk, "I'm beautiful..." she flipped two blades open, "And bad."_

_We all laughed, happy about being there before the lights in the room flickered off making me tense, "What's happening?" Goldman asked us._

"_He's close..." I replied._

"_Freddy?" Nancy asked me._

"_I can feel him," I nodded as I looked around, "Where's Joey?"_

"_Freddy' got him," Kristen replied making my head snap around to her, my eyes widening._

"_We need to help him," I yelped as I dashed to the door, only as I put my hand on the handle it heated up like a hot iron. I hissed as I pulled my hand away, only then noticing that the room was stifling hot._

"_The room's changing," Will observed as the walls closed in, making us back into each other as it became cylindrical... like the inside of a furnace._

"_This is crazy," Goldman muttered as I staggered back, tripping over something and landing in ask, my hand landed on a small child's skull making me whimper and stand up quickly. The smoke got denser and roaring flames leapt up around us. I closed my eyes tightly hoping to god I'd wake up..._

"What's going on in here?" Simms' voice suddenly demanded making my eyes snap open, I glanced at her before looking around only my gaze landed on Joey who was lying unconscious near his chair.

"Joey," I yelped, flying out of my chair and dropping to my knees next to him, my hands moving to his face, "Joey, wake up." Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I was pulled away from him by Kincaid, Neil moved forward and checked his breathing before giving him mouth to mouth as I started full on panicking.

A few hours later I was stood in the hallway outside of Joey's intensive care unit at the hospital, Nancy and Goldman nearby as I watched through the doorway as the neurosurgeons and technicians surrounded Joey's bed. Doctor Carver, the physician of Westin Hills stormed towards us as Simms followed him.

"He's in a deep coma," a neurosurgeon told us as he walked out, "There's nothing that we can do." I let another silent tear trickle down my cheek at his words and turned back to looking at Joey.

"This is inexcusable," Carver growled.

"The session was unauthorized," Simms replied, "It was purposely conducted without my knowledge."

"Unusual steps were called for," Goldman commented.

"Is that what I should tell this young man's parents?" Carver snapped, "I understand you prescribed a highly experimental drug."

"Dr. Carver, he's not in a coma because of the Hypnocyl," Nancy tried.

"Young lady, your opinion is of no interest to me," Carver snapped at her, "Furthermore, according to Dr Simms, you've been creating panic amongst the patients."

"That's not true," I commented making them turn to me.

"In the last four days we've had two suicides," Carver countered, "Now a boy is in a coma. It think it's fair to say the approach has failed... entirely." He turned to Goldman and Nancy, "You're both relieved of your duties. I want you out of here. Today."

"Dr Carver..." Nancy tried but Goldman shook his head and Carver walked away.

"I'm sorry Neil," Simms commented, "You brought this on yourself."

"For God's sake, Elizabeth," Goldman groaned, "Just try to help the kids, will you? Listen to them."

"Of course," she nodded before turning to me, "Come along."

"Can I say goodnight?" I asked as I turned to Joey, he was alone in his room now and she gave me a once over. My eyes filled with tears at the thought of leaving him there and she nodded softly making me smile gently before walking in.

The other three left to give me some privacy with Joey so I sat on a chair next to his bed and took his hand, "I'm here," I told him, "And I'm gonna help you, I promise." More tears tracked down my cheeks, "Joey... I'm so sorry."

"Cassie?" Nancy walked in making me turn to her, desperation in my eyes. She rushed over and pulled me in to her arms. "He's going to be fine."

"I can't lose him too," I whimpered as I clung to her, "Not him..."

"I know this is hard for you," she told me, "Especially after Elm Street... but you need to stay strong so we can save him." I nodded before standing up and giving Joey a kiss on his forehead before backing away slightly.

I frowned before closing my eyes, "Give him back to me," I muttered, knowing that Freddy could hear me if Joey could. "Let him go, you bastard."

Nancy let out a gasp making my eyes snap open as Goldman entered. Slashes suddenly criss-crossed across Joey's chest making my hand fly to my mouth. My eyes widened as I read what he'd spelt out: COME AND GET HIM, BITCH!

"Oh I'm coming," I growled before turning and walking out of the room ignoring Nancy's calls for me to come back.


	5. 05 Battles And Freedom

When I got back to the ward, Kristen was kicking off about them firing Nancy and Goldman and I watched as they dragged her to the quiet rooms. They were gonna sedate her. "What do we do?" Taryn asked as I watched them, "Cassie?"

"Page Goldman," I replied, "Tell him what's happening. We're gonna have group... she's gonna sleep no matter what, so we're going in with her." I looked up determinedly, "We'll meet up with her, and we'll go get Joey." She nodded in agreement.

"Are you okay?" Will asked curiously.

"Me?" I asked, "I'm angry... and if there's one thing you shouldn't do, it's make me angry." I walked away from them with a glare set in my eyes. If I was gonna go up against Freddy, I needed them...

I slipped into my room easily, ignoring Max who had followed me curiously, "What are you doing?" he asked but I just moved to my draws and grabbed the woolly beanie from one of them.

"Nothing," I replied with a shrug, pulling it on over my loose hair before pulling on Glen's gloves... the only things I didn't have in the real world was Dean's hoody and Rod's knife, but I replaced the hoody with one of Phil's and I had Dean's watch anyway.

A few minutes later I walked down the hall, reaching the guys the same time Nancy did and Nancy smiled at me. "Let's go," I nodded.

"Where?" Will asked curiously.

"One last Group," Nancy replied before following me into the day room where she closed the door. "Okay, straight talk only in here."

"What about Kristen?" Taryn asked.

"We can't get to her," I replied making them look at me as I moved to the pendulum.

"I was hoping we'd have more time," Nancy commented.

"Yeah but Joey's in there," I commented, "And Kristen's going in there with or without us. They need us."

"You mean we're gonna try go in with her?" Will asked, "To link up?"

"It's now or never," I replied, "This is gonna be dangerous, if you die in the dream you die out here." I looked around, "Time to back out if you want to."

"I'm in," Will smiled after a minute.

"Me too," Taryn nodded.

"Let's go kick that motherfucker's ass all over dream land," Kincaid smirked making me smirk back. Nancy nodded before flicking the pendulum on.

"Now remember," she sighed, "Stick together, whatever happens. It's the only way we can beat him." My gaze locked on the pendulum. "Clear you minds... of everything." I blocked her out and after a minute my eyes drifted closed.

"_Nancy? Cassie?" Kristen's eyes snapped open to see us with her in the quiet room, I smirked at her in greeting before she launched herself at us in a hug. "I knew you'd come."_

"_You didn't think we'd let you go in alone?" Nancy asked._

"_Yeah and let you have all the fun," I laughed._

"_No fucking way, we're a team," Kincaid added. I smiled before letting it slid off to become serious._

"_Joey needs our help," I sighed making them nod._

"_I can feel him," Kristen nodded._

"_How do we find him?" Nancy asked curiously, only before she got an answer four huge razors slashed through the canvas making cotton padding fly._

_I backed off to the middle of the room, pulling the others with me, "Stay together!" I called loudly as the cotton blocked out vision of each other. Everyone fell silent and the next thing I knew, the cotton cleared leaving me stood in the Diner that Dean had killed himself in._

_Voices laughed behind me making me turn my head, they were sat there laughing as if the past three years hadn't happened. Glancing down I found myself wearing my own clothes, "Cassie! There you are. Why're you late?" Glen looked up and called over making me smile sadly as tears slid down my cheeks._

_Quentin, Dean, Rod and Jesse turned their heads grins crossing their faces at the sight of me and Quentin hopped over the back of the booth before heading over to me. "Where've you been?" he asked as he pulled me into his arms for a moment, before leading me to the guys, his arm around my shoulders. "We've been waiting."_

_I looked around them all, and as I did my vision flashed to what they looked like when they'd died making me gasp and back off. "Cassie?" Dean questioned as he looked at me in confusion, "What's wrong?" I shook my head and backed away, only I collided with a solid form making me spin around to see Freddy stood there grinning at me._

"_No," I croaked out, backing away from him quickly. He smirked evilly._

"_I know just how to torture you," he commented before reaching out and grabbing Dean, my eyes widened as I shook my head._

_One by one I watched him kill them again, none of them struggling before he grabbed Quentin last and my gaze locked with his. "Quen..." I started, my voice cracking as I did._

"_It's okay," he muttered, "He's can't hurt us anymore..." Tears carried on flooding from my eyes as he talked. I knew it wasn't really him, it was my subconscious version of him._

"_Quentin..." I whimpered, "I..."_

"_I know," he smiled weakly as Freddy held him by his throat, "I love you too..." I gulped and whimpered again. "But so does Joey... and right now he's the one you need to save." I bit at my lip, "I'm happy Cass... it's your turn."_

_I shook my head, "RUN!" He screamed at me suddenly and I came back to reality... Freddy's knifed hand plunged through Quentin's chest and I screamed before wrenching the Diner door open and bolted through it... suddenly finding myself in Nancy's old house._

"_Nancy?" Kristen's familiar voice shouted, "Cassie?"_

"_Kristen?" I shouted back hopefully before running towards her voice... as I ran through the house Taryn's screams echoed around me making me pause and close my eyes in dread once they faded away. It wasn't much longer that Will's screams echoed around me too before fading making me grit my teeth and run forward again._

"_Kristen?" I yelled, "Nancy? Kincaid?" I slid around a corner, my gaze landing on Kristen and Nancy a little way down making me smile widely before bolting to them. "You guys are okay!" I pulled them into hugs only to stop when a crunching sounded from the wall next to us._

"_What is that?" Kristen asked in fear._

"_I don't know," Nancy replied and a horrible cracking and snapping sounded as the wall spiderwebbed. It finally gave a few seconds later and Kincaid stepped through._

"_Yo. I thought I heard voices," he grinned making me smiled and throw my arms around him._

"_I could kiss you!" I greeted._

"_What's stopping you?" he smirked making me press a kiss to his cheek before moving as the other two girls hugged him. "So where's Joey?"_

"_I don't know," Kristen replied, "It's like a maze in here."_

"_Then it's time to stop guessing and start messing," Kincaid commented before hollering, "FREDDY! WHERE YOU HIDING, YOU PUSSY?"_

"_Kincaid... we should find the others first," Nancy commented._

"_They're not coming," I muttered making her give me a sad look, I shook my head and looked down._

"_YOU'RE HOT SHIT WITH A LITTLE MUTE KID..." Kincaid carried on. "LETS SEE YOU TAKE ME AND CASSIDY! KRUEGER!"_

_There was still no response making him turn, "I knew he was a chickesh..." the lights flickered and a large metal, rusted boiler room door appeared in one of the walls making me let out a breath._

"_We need a plan," Nancy commented but I shook my head._

"_My plan is to save my boyfriend and end this for good," I replied before walking away from her and pulling the door open smoothly. I'd reached my breaking point... and there was two ways for me to go, this time I wasn't going to crumble... I was gonna fight back._

_I walked easily down the winding metal staircase as the other three followed cautiously behind, and once I reached the bottom I found myself in the familiar boiler room of my dreams. There was an archway up ahead, made of dolls and tricycles making me growl before I headed forwards, passing under it to find the boiler room the way it always was. Air red with heat and haze._

_The only differences were Freddy, sat on a throne of children bones, and Joey, suspended over a pit of flames... it looked like a weird alter. "Look Joey... all the little piggies have come home." Freddy commented making Joey's head snap around, his eyes were wide with fear as they locked on me._

_His mouth opened in a silent scream towards us, and I read it as him trying to yell 'NO!'. I smiled weakly before looking up at Freddy. "Let him go!" Nancy shouted at Freddy._

"_Your wish is my command," Freddy smirked as he waved his hand. The tongue things that held Joey suspended unravelled making me dart forward towards him. As the last one let go I slid on to my stomach and grabbed his wrist in my hands. I was slipping though and as I locked gazes with Joey's worried one I felt myself get hauled up, along with Joey... Kincaid was helping._

_Nancy moved to us quickly as Kristen fought Freddy and Kincaid ripped up a large pipe, she helped us to our feet before getting attacked by one of the tongue things. I turned to Joey and gave him a small smile before dashing towards Freddy as he smashed Kristen away from him, he was about to slash her when I collided with him, knocking him backwards and away from her._

_He threw me off of him easily and as he turned to gut me with the knives on his hands Kincaid smashed the large pole to his back making him stagger before turning and pulling Kincaid over his head. I watched in awe as Nancy drove a poker through Freddy's heart and everyone around us froze._

_He lowered Kincaid, instead holding him in one hand by the throat... with his other hand he pulled the poker from his chest and licked at the tip like it was ice cream making me grimace in disgust. "Nancy?" Kristen asked as I got up and walked over._

"_He's too strong," Nancy replied, "He was never this strong."_

"_Yes," he smirked as he turned to us, "The souls of the children..." he ripped his shirt open to reveal the faces on his chest, "...they make me stronger." My gaze trailed from Jennifer's face, to Taryn's, Will's, Phillip's... Glen's, Rod's, Quentin's... Dean's. "Always room for more."_

_As we backed away from him, he suddenly flinched before disappearing letting Kincaid drop to the ground. "We need to go," I muttered, "Before he comes back."_

_We limped our way up the staircase and out of the boiler room, bloodied and battered. Once again we found ourselves in the Elm Street house. "Kristen, can you pull us out?" Nancy asked hopefully. _

"_They sedated me," she replied, "We're stuck here till it wears off."_

"_Okay," I nodded, "Let's try this way." And I led them down a hallway and into a hallway of mirrors making me pause slightly before the others passed me and walked on. The door on the other side however shimmered and turned into another mirror making us back off as Freddy appeared in it._

"_Sorry to keep you waiting," He smirked, "Perhaps if there were more of me to spread around." With that more Freddy's appeared in the other mirrors and hands reached out, pulling me, Nancy, Kristen and Kincaid into them as Joey backed into a mirror-less corner._

"_Joey," I screamed to him as I fought against the Freddy who had hold of me. He looked around with wide eyes and I turned away from him to try keep myself out of the mirror, I was half in now._

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" An unfamiliar yet amazingly comforting voice suddenly shouted... it was so loud the mirrors rippled before shattering, throwing us out of them. As I landed on the floor on my hands and knees I looked up in shock at Joey. "Wow. Did I say that?"_

_A grin spread across my face as I got up quickly my arms flying around him. "You sure as shit did!" Kincaid grinned, "You saved our asses!"_

"_He's gone," Kristen smiled widely, "We got him." Kincaid suddenly pulled Joey away from me and scooped him into a hug making me smile widely before turning and hugging Kristen and Nancy._

"_Hey man, put me down," Joey muttered to Kincaid before a hand landed on my shoulder making me turn to see Joey smiling down at me in that gorgeous way he did. "Hey."_

"_Hey," I smiled at him widely, tears in my eyes and he wiped the few that escaped from my cheeks before swooping down and smashing his lips against mine making me gasp slightly and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Once we pulled away from each other he smirked._

"_I love you too," he grinned making me bite my lip and smile widely before pulling him down into another kiss._

"_Nancy..." A voice suddenly sounded from behind us making me pull away, turning to see Mr Thompson stood behind us, glowing slightly._

"_Daddy?" Nancy asked in shock._

"_I've crossed over, Princess," he told her as I put my hand over my mouth._

"_Crossed over?" She asked sadly._

"_But I couldn't go until I told you how sorry I am for all the things I've done," he told her softly. "I love you so much. I'll always love you. Goodbye, Princess."_

_Nancy moved into her dad's arms for one last hug, "I'll always love you, Dadd..." She gasped, cutting herself off as her body jerked violently. "No..."_

_Mr Thompson's face wavered before being replaced with Freddy's who was grinning, "Die, bitch," he sneered as he jammed his glove in further._

"_Nancy!" I shrieked, attempting to run to her, only Joey and Kincaid held me back. A cross-shaped hole suddenly exploded from Freddy's forehead and brilliantly bright light poured out making him stagger back. More glowing holes erupted as a whirlwind of faces poured out, free at last. I gasped as five of them flew towards me making me back off slightly. They rippled into full bodies and there stood ghostly versions of my five guys. Glen, Dean, Quentin, Rod and Jesse._

_Glen stepped forward as Joey and Kincaid let me go, backing off, "Glen?" I asked with tears pouring down my cheeks._

"_You did it," he grinned at me, "You all did... now you get to live your life." I shook my head and Quentin and Dean stepped up._

"_Listen to him Cassie," Dean told me, "You need to let go of us."_

"_We'll be here, watching over you, you know that," Quentin smiled at me, "Plus, you don't need us anymore." He glanced at Joey and Kincaid, "You have these guys." I smiled slightly._

"_We all love you Cass," Dean smiled at me. "Always have, always will." I bit at my lip and nodded._

"_I miss you guys," I told them, my gaze drifting to Rod and Jesse too, "Even you guys." They grinned at me widely._

"_We miss you too," Glen nodded, "But it's time for you to move on." I let a tear trickle down my cheek, but I nodded._

_Glen and Dean backed off leaving Quentin in front of me as they joined Jesse and Rod. Quentin's ghost hand hovered over my cheek as he smiled softly down at me. "I love you Cassie," he smiled at me, "But I think this guys loves you more." He glanced at Joey whose eyes widened slightly. He grinned at him, "Look after her for me, man." Joey nodded._

_He turned back to me, "I hope I don't see you too soon," he smirked down at me before backing up to the others and with a final wave from each of them they turned back into mist and drifted up, disappearing through the ceiling like the others had._

_As I'd been saying goodbye to my guys, Nancy had passed and I groaned before kneeling down next to her body. Kristen was clutching her to her chest crying making me wrap my arms around the blond girl in comfort._


	6. 06 Thank You

The three caskets were surrounded by mourners a few days later, and I stood with Joey, Kincaid and Kristen, the former with his hand clutching mine as we watched them go into the ground, tearfully.

Once the ceremony finished I turned my head from the graves sadly before walking off towards a different plot. My guys were all buried side by side due to how close together they'd died and I stood a bit away, looking at them all a sad smile on my face. "Thanks," I commented quietly as a hand landed softly on my shoulder. I looked up and smiled tearfully at Joey and he smiled back before slipping his arms around my waist from behind, his chin rested on my head.

"Yeah," he agreed as he looked at them all, "Thanks."

For the first time in a long time, I was relaxed and I closed my eyes, leaning back in to Joey's hold before opening my eyes again and looking at the headstones again... Calm and relaxed.


	7. DISCLAIMER!

**OKAY! Just occurred to me that I haven't put a disclaimer on this story or it's prequel! **

**ANYWAY: I do not own anything recognisable but I do indeed own Cassie! **


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